lifeasmission
exploring the mystery of life and mission as one and the same
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Archive of "sustainability" Category
Toward a Missional Vision of Theological Education: The Fruit of the Problem
Previous Posts in this Series:
Preliminary Thoughts | The Root of the Problem
In my last post I made the claim that our current model of theological education, in assuming a Christendom context, is better-suited to train managers of Christian religious institutions than it is to prepare missional leaders. If the root of the problem is Christendom, the binding of Christian witness and mission to systems of coercive power, we do well to ask what the fruit of the tree of our current system of theological education has been?
The version of Christianity which is bound to systems of coercive power within modernity has been powerless to resist the trajectory of that era. Thus, features like individualism, consumerism, and reductionism have been uncritically adopted by local churches and systems of theological education alike and have had mutually related effects. On top of this, there has emerged a rift between theological education and the ministry of the local church.
I’ve talked up a storm on this blog about what this has meant for the structure and ministry of local churches, but what about our systems of theological education?
Individualism.
For the most part, people make individual decisions to attend seminary and they are trained as individuals. I’m not saying you can’t experience community in seminary education or benefit from peer interaction, but largely, you choose your courses as an individual, study as an individual, get assessed as an individual, and then decide where to go and what to do as an individual. Not very good training for people who will then go on to be part of a staff team! Even less conducive to a truly missional ecclesiology in which the theology, spiritual practices, and Christan life are all rooted in community.
Consumerism.
Seminary is freaking expensive! I know I got some amen’s on that! That’s because there’s a market for it. Think about that for a second… There is a market (a system of coercive power if there ever was one) for being trained as a Christian leader. Now, make sure you’re not hearing what I’m NOT saying. I’m not saying it’s wrong for people to earn a living from educating others. Nor am I saying that buying and selling is in and of itself a bad thing. I am saying that this business of people needing to spend (or worse, go into debt) huge amounts of money to get a religious credential at an accredited institution is not only unsustainable as Christendom unravels, but has a negative effect on Christian leaders and those they lead.
Reductionism.
There are a number of ways we could go with this dimension of modern Christendom, but what concerns me the most is how we have reduced theology to information and the leadership of local churches to those best able to convey it. How else are we able to account for a theological system so heavily slanted toward lecturing, book reading, writing, and testing? It’s nearly all about the grasping and repeating of concepts. I’m not saying at all that there’s no place for this, but this feature of Christendom-based theological education has resulted in a form of Christianity that lives as though it’s possible to really believe something without embodying it. The Bible knows nothing of disembodied belief, but this is the very thing that our current system of theological eduction allows for.
These are a few of the most obvious fruits of theological education rooted in Christendom that I am thinking of. Are you thinking of more? What are the angles and nuances that you see from your perspective that I’m missing?
In my next post, I aim to take a stab how a missional vision of theological education differs from one rooted in Christendom.
Bi-Vocational Ministry & Theological Education
I think this will be my last post in a series on bi-vocational ministry. If you’re looking to catch up, feel free to check out the earlier ones:2) Bi-Vocational Ministry & the Missional Church
3) Bi-Vocational Ministry & Spiritual Formation
4) Bi-Vocational Ministry & Support Raising
Thinking on this topic has stirred up a number of thoughts, ideas, and connections that I think will take shape in a next series of posts, so I won’t say too much here.
What I will say is this…
In 2004 when I began my education at Fuller Theological Seminary, I was on the fence about doing an MDiv. I wasn’t sure that my future was going to be in professional, paid, church staff ministry. I also wasn’t so sure that the structure of the degree was all that well equipped to prepare people for that sort of ministry given the trajectory of the Western church anyway. To my utter shock, I soon discovered that these sentiments were widely shared and many of the people who would have been the best candidates for MDiv’s were opting for less traditional and more flexible routes. (FYI – Fuller has since done some major and commendable course correcting regarding all their programs, including the MDiv!)
My hesitations confirmed by the sentiments and decisions of my peers, I chose to do an MA in theology which gave me the ability to take 1/2 my classes out of Fullers’ School of Intercultural Studies enabling me to craft a degree that explored a missiology of Western culture.
In contrast to the average School of Theology student, many of the students doing degrees in the School of Intercultural Studies had widely marketable skills and trades. Whereas the average SOT student was there to get an academic credential in order to get a job, the average SIS student was in school to learn how to be better a better missionary or to do more study regarding a particular area of interest. Unlike their SOT counterparts, they weren’t looking for a degree to get a job.
Now, Fuller as a school didn’t create this reality per se, they were merely filling two different needs, augmenting on the one hand, and preparing on the other.
If, as I have tried to say, churches being led by a team of bi-vocational leaders is more sustainable, healthier for leaders and congregations alike, and all-around positively spiritually formative, then theological schools would do well to intentionally structure themselves for the sort of education that Fuller’s SIS was offering de facto.
There is a lesson to be learned here from Christian Liberal Arts schools (yeah Malone!) which prepare men and women of God for service in all areas of life… AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. That people would “graduate” from this sort of education to one of specialized, professional theological training is a regrettable reality. I say this as one with the highest of value for theological rigor and advanced training. But, I also say it as one who thinks these things should never come at the expense of extending to Christian leaders the opportunity to lose touch with “the world.”
A missional ecclesiology calls for a missional approach to theological education that would be best described in terms of formational training. This is what I hope to explore further in my next series of posts.
The Power & Promise of Regional Gatherings for the Equipping of Missional Churches
A bit of background to this post…
I used to want to be the next Rick Warren or Bill Hybels. What student pastor in the late 90’s didn’t? As I look back, my misaligned, youthful arrogance was fueled in large part by the national conferences I was attending. Predicated on the modern notion that bigger is always better, these conferences communicated and celebrated the paradoxical and lamentable reality of “Christian celebrity.”
These conferences sprang up from and in turn sought to facilitate the modern megachurch phenomenon. And, in my opinion, did/do more harm than good. In the Christian world, when it comes to conferences, the national variety tends to capitalize on the “cool factor,” something that seems grossly out of place to me now for those who follow a crucified Savior.
At national conferences there are typically big name speakers, higher attendance and more bells and whistles. (Maybe even a dude jumping into a foot of water from 35 feet up?) National conferences, at least the better ones, can have value for inspiring people I suppose, but I would venture to say that regional gatherings possess far more power and value in terms of their ability to help shape and equip the church and her leaders. Here’s just a few reasons why I say that.
- Relationships are more easily cultivated and sustained
- With greater ease and interest, topics of conversation move from the theoretical to the practical
- Traveling costs are much lower
- Conference costs are much lower (if not free like Verge LA which my friend JR Woodward (@dreamawakener) is helping to put together
- Conversations regarding context and culture gain more immediate traction
- The loss of the “cool factor” translates into a higher caliber of fellow attenders
- Virtually everyone gets to participate in meaningful ways
- There is greater access to gifted people who would probably never get invited to present at a national gathering because they are w/o book deals and cult followings
- There is no hype to distract from the more important issues being addressed
- Young and impressionable leaders aren’t made to feel inadequate or handed delusions of grandeur
For these reasons and still others, I am hopeful that we will see more and more groups who exist to strengthen the missional church and her leaders investing in regional gatherings. And where and when national gatherings continue, my hope is that they will focus on supporting regional networks, leaving the hype behind.
Make the World Better – One Link at a Time
Every now and then I do a little shoutout for Better World Books.
I love books, and I get excited whenever someone recommends a book they think I’d be interested in. But I have to be honest, every time I see a book referenced with a link to Amazon, Google, or some other corporate giant that isn’t doing anything unique and creative for the good of others, I get a little sad. So here’s my pitch for you to make Better World Books your Go-To place for shopping, referencing, selling, and checking out books.They’re into recycling.
They buy books back from you.
They work for global literacy.
They are committed to social awareness and sustainability.
They never charge you shipping!
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You can subscribe to their blog.
Follow them on twitter.
Connect on Facebook.
Check out their stuff on YouTube.
Grab a gift certificate for someone.
And if you get really inspired, you can get me something off my wishlist
Bi-Vocational Ministry & the Missional Church
I’ve appreciated the conversation that has taken place on my previous post on bi-vocational ministry.I’ve got a few ideas for follow up posts on the subject – thinking about how and where this practice intersects with theological education, community/spiritual formation, support raising, stewardship & sustainability, etc. However, I think it might be most helpful to clarify how I understand the relationship between bi-vocational ministry and missional ecclesiology.
As I have said numerous times before, being missional is no mere add-on to current church practice. Nor is it a shift any particular church community might make without rethinking those things which are most fundamental. A truly missional ecclesiology arises out of a particular way of doing theology and the understandings of things like the gospel and salvation that emerge as a result.
While I can see why people from various ecclesial backgrounds might resonate with bi-vocational ministry as a model for church leadership, I think it makes most sense within a truly missional framework. Here’s a few reasons why.
Missional churches gain their identity from the Missio Dei. Their understandings of the gospel and salvation are defined by the very notion of participation in the life and mission of God in the world. Appropriately, they would happily embrace a model of church leadership which creates a participatory context.
Since missional churches see Christendom as a cultural condition which distorts rather than enhances Christian discipleship and witness, it is no wonder that they would shy away from models of church leadership predicated on its very existence. As Christendom continues to crumble, the viability of multiple full-time church staff will continue to crumble with it.
Because missional churches seek to shape a people who are passionate about God’s redemption of the whole world, it would be second nature for them to embrace a kind of ministry in which the leaders of the community model the practice of vibrant Christian witness in the marketplace.
For me anyway, it’s the theological connection and not the pragmatic rationale of bi-vocational church leadership that is most motivating.
Walking and Books
Caught something about “Walkable Neighborhoods” over on Joe’s blog today. He pointed to walkscore.com – a site that will tell you how walkable your neighborhood is. On the site, they have this to say about walkable neighborhoods…
Walkable neighborhoods offer surprising benefits to our health, the environment, and our communities.
Better health: A study in Washington State found that the average resident of a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood weighs 7 pounds less than someone who lives in a sprawling neighborhood.1 Residents of walkable neighborhoods drive less and suffer fewer car accidents, a leading cause of death between the ages of 15–45.
Reduction in greenhouse gas: Cars are a leading cause of global warming. Your feet are zero-pollution transportation machines.
More transportation options: Compact neighborhoods tend to have higher population density, which leads to more public transportation options and bicycle infrastructure. Not only is taking the bus cheaper than driving, but riding a bus is ten times safer than driving a car!2
Increased social capital: Walking increases social capital by promoting face-to-face interaction with your neighbors. Studies have shown that for every 10 minutes a person spends in a daily car commute, time spent in community activities falls by 10%.3
Stronger local businesses: Dense, walkable neighborhoods provide local businesses with the foot traffic they need to thrive. It’s easier for pedestrians to shop at many stores on one trip, since they don’t need to drive between destinations.
My new neighborhood scored an 82/100!
Also, in my ongoing effort to try and make as many of my normal purchases from people and places that make positive and conscientious contributions to society, I wanted to point out betterworld.com.
Better World Books collects and sells books online to fund literacy initiatives worldwide. With more than two million new and used titles in stock, we’re a self-sustaining, triple-bottom-line company that creates social, economic and environmental value for all our stakeholders.
Yeah, I am gonna spend a little more on books from this group than Amazon or another group like that, but I am always reminding myself, low costs almost never come without someone else paying the “price.”
Hi There…
Hey, I'm JR - welcome to the blog.
I'm just an average guy trying to shape his identity around God's dream for the world and his place in it. This blog is a place for me (and you!) to reflect on and discuss all that might mean. Looking for a bit more on me? Check out the about me. Peace.
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